Results 6,881-6,900 of 8,212 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: EU Employment Legislation and JobPath: Discussion (Resumed) (8 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Mr. McKeon did not answer my question about the protocol for those who wish to return to education. Perhaps it could be provided separately. I have asked it twice.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Joint Meeting of the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Joint Committee on Education and Skills and Joint Committee on Health
Supports for People with Disabilities: Discussion (3 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank all of the presenters for speaking and identifying so many overlapping issues. I know we have touched on some of them before. I was struck by a few patterns. The witnesses might elaborate a little on one or two of them. I refer to the transition points and what seems to happen to people around transition points. There is a question of people who may be coming out of education and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Joint Meeting of the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Joint Committee on Education and Skills and Joint Committee on Health
Supports for People with Disabilities: Discussion (3 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank all of the presenters for speaking and identifying so many overlapping issues. I know we have touched on some of them before. I was struck by a few patterns. The witnesses might elaborate a little on one or two of them. I refer to the transition points and what seems to happen to people around transition points. There is a question of people who may be coming out of education and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Joint Meeting of the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Joint Committee on Education and Skills and Joint Committee on Health
Supports for People with Disabilities: Discussion (3 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank all of the presenters for speaking and identifying so many overlapping issues. I know we have touched on some of them before. I was struck by a few patterns. The witnesses might elaborate a little on one or two of them. I refer to the transition points and what seems to happen to people around transition points. There is a question of people who may be coming out of education and...

Seanad: Prohibition of Conversion Therapies Bill 2018: Second Stage (2 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am delighted to be one of the many co-signatories of this Bill. It is an extremely important one and I really commend Senator Warfield on introducing it. When I was a young person in Galway I had an older friend, in his 20s, who had gone through electroconvulsive therapy because he was gay. He had depression and it was framed around this. It was not framed as a conversion therapy but it...

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (2 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I was indicating to speak on group 2, so I will wait for that. I commend the Minister again and will speak to those issues on group 2, when they arise.

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (2 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister. I am very happy that so many of the debates we had in the Seanad were reflected in the shaping of this Bill. For example, I am particularly happy that the crime of coercive control, which was debated in this House, is contemplated under the Bill. It is a credit to the Minister and his Department that he engaged on all of those issues and that they are now reflected...

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (Resumed) (2 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I believe my colleague, Senator Kelleher, already spoke very eloquently and covered all the points. There is a suite of measures. Even since the Bill passed through the House, new areas and measures have evolved in the experience of women in particular and victims of violence, including intimate and sexual violence, which is passing through the courts. Progressive and strong as it is, I...

Seanad: Project Ireland 2040: Statements (Resumed) (2 May 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Colleagues have spoken about many of the issues, and I will try to raise a new one. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O’Donovan, to the House. We are considering long-term thinking, which is important and needed if we are to ensure we can plan for a collective future in Ireland and, importantly, situate ourselves within the collective challenges faced in Europe and the wider...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I note that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, indicated today that he will be opposing new bonuses for senior figures in the banks. The proposal to reintroduce bonuses at AIB is disgraceful and I welcome the fact that the Minister will be opposing it. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister to the House to debate the issue of tax reliefs. If we are looking at a situation...

Seanad: Public Service Broadcasting and Social Media Regulation: Statements (19 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will not touch on the issues raised in regard to media mergers, except in so far as the Minister raised the question of his regret about the phone call that he made to Mr. Ó Neachtain. I accept the Minister has regret over the phone call, but I appeal for us to be careful about the language we use. It is important if we are to restore the confidence of the public in politics that we...

Seanad: Public Service Broadcasting and Social Media Regulation: Statements (19 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I would suggest the Minister amend Deputy James Lawless's Bill if he needs to, but we need legislation on this before the summer.

Seanad: Northern Ireland and 20th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement: Statements (18 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am lucky enough to share a birthday with the Good Friday Agreement. I still remember the incredible power and hope on that day. It has been a beacon globally which has been shown to impact on peace agreements in Bosnia, Sudan, South Africa, Colombia and around the world. It is a beacon not only in itself but because of how it was achieved, including the role played by women, from Betty...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Influence of Social Media on Elections and Referenda: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: While the timeline in the presentation begins in 2016 the timeline in Cambridge Analytica begins in 2011. The witnesses have spoken of their concerns about litigation but there is an option between recommendation and litigation, which is an enforcement notice. The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has the power under section 10 to issue enforcement notices. Is it not the case...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Online Advertising and Social Media (Transparency) Bill 2017 and the Influence of Social Media: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am conscious of the huge number of questions to be answered. I ask, therefore, if I can do follow-up questions also. Specifically, I want to pick up on what specific measures are being putting in place in relation to article 9 and the processing of special categories of data. To be clear, we are not simply talking about special categories of data, that is, political views, religious views...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Online Advertising and Social Media (Transparency) Bill 2017 and the Influence of Social Media: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is the witness concerned about facilitating the sale of data that might be scraped from-----

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (28 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I echo the concern expressed by Senator Gavan regarding Catalonia. It is sad that Europe has political prisoners and political arrests of this nature are taking place.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (28 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We need to push for better peace-building, dialogue and mediation in Europe because we do not want to return to a Europe of hard borders and the divisions of the past. I note the Leader's comment that the debate on the Data Protection Bill is to conclude after four hours. I will be disappointed if the Bill is guillotined, although I do not expect the debate to last for four hours. I...

Seanad: An Bille um an Séú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht 2018: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to respond to a couple of the points raised as Committee Stage draws to a close. Many of those who argued against the Bill called for clarity. I appeal to them to be clear on what their proposal entails. We heard, for example, a suggestion that regulations could be made to deal with hard cases. If we retain Article 40.3.3°, regulations will not be introduced to deal with many...

Seanad: An Bille um an Séú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht 2018: An Dara Céim - Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018: Second Stage (27 Mar 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Hear, hear.